HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 [2023-10-12 23-37] jseth@rentonwa.gov [RE- City of Renton, Initiative Measure N] 4d96f
Cynthia Moya
From:Jason Seth <jseth@rentonwa.gov>
Sent:Thursday, October 12, 2023 4:37 PM
To:Kubota, Angela
Cc:Melissa McCain; Case, Janice; Lodge, Jacob; Wise, Julie; Kristi Rowland; Election,
Services
Subject:RE: City of Renton, Initiative Measure No. 23-02 Petition - Undated Signatures
Hi Angela,
Thank you. We appreciate everything you are doing to verify signatures and separately count/verify the undated
signatures. But to make sure we understand, are you saying that King County views it, not me, as being the “officer or
officers responsible for determining the sufficiency of the petition” as identified in RCW 35.21.005(10). It seems that in
light of RCW 35.17.280, our roles overlap and there is some uncertainty as to whether it is me or King County that makes
the final call on whether undated signatures are sufficient pursuant to RCW 35.21.005.
I wonder whether King County has considered the following language in RCW 35.17.280(2):
Although we understand there is a presumption of validity until proven invalid, we read that language as unambiguously
requiring a date be included with the signature for it to be valid. If King County disagrees, it would be helpful to
understand how King County’s interpretation of that mandatory “shall” requirement differs from ours, particularly in
light of there being crossover in our roles to certify the sufficiency of signatures.
Jason Seth, MMC
City Clerk/Public Records Officer
425-430-6502 (office)
425-635-6100 (cell)
From: Kubota, Angela <Angela.Kubota@kingcounty.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 4:07 PM
To: Jason Seth <JSeth@Rentonwa.gov>
Cc: Melissa McCain <mmccain@rentonwa.gov>; Case, Janice <Janice.Case@kingcounty.gov>; Lodge, Jacob
<Jacob.Lodge@kingcounty.gov>; Wise, Julie <Julie.Wise@kingcounty.gov>; Kristi Rowland <KRowland@Rentonwa.gov>;
Election, Services <Election.Services@kingcounty.gov>
Subject: RE: City of Renton, Initiative Measure No. 23-02 Petition - Undated Signatures
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open attachments unless
you know the content is safe.
Hi Jason,
King County is the holder of the voter registration records for the county and is responsible for
determining if a petition signer is registered to vote, resides in the appropriate jurisdiction and their
signature matches and determining how many valid signatures based on what is submitted to our office
following the guidelines within RCW 35.21.005, including striking any signatures that are older than 6
months.
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For the undated signatures, we are using sections 5 and 8 of RCW 35.21.005 to determine if a signature
should be stricken or reviewed. Specially, signatures shall be accepted as prima facie until their invalidity
has been proved and signatures followed by a date of signing more than six months prior to the date of
filing shall be stricken.
Kind regards,
Angie
Angela Kubota-Wolbert
Candidate & Jurisdiction Coordinator
King County Elections
206-296-1565
kingcounty.gov/elections
-
From: Jason Seth <JSeth@Rentonwa.gov>
Sent: Friday, October 6, 2023 8:11 AM
To: Election, Services <Election.Services@kingcounty.gov>
Cc: Melissa McCain <mmccain@rentonwa.gov>; Case, Janice <Janice.Case@kingcounty.gov>; Lodge, Jacob
<Jacob.Lodge@kingcounty.gov>; Kubota, Angela <Angela.Kubota@kingcounty.gov>; Wise, Julie
<Julie.Wise@kingcounty.gov>; Kristi Rowland <KRowland@Rentonwa.gov>
Subject: RE: City of Renton, Initiative Measure No. 23-02 Petition - Undated Signatures
\[EXTERNAL Email Notice! \] External communication is important to us. Be cautious of phishing attempts. Do not click or open
suspicious links or attachments.
Hi Angie,
Thank you for all your help in verifying signatures.
I'm wondering whether King County views itself or me as being responsible for determining the sufficiency of the
petition and interpreting the requirements for signatures to be valid, including whether undated signatures should be
stricken pursuant to RCW 35.21.005(2) and (5)?
I ask because RCW 35.17.280 charges me with the responsibility of determining the sufficiency of
signatures, but I'm not clear how King County views our respective roles with respect to
interpreting the requirements of RCW 35.21.005.
Thank you for any clarification you can provide.
Jason Seth, MMC
City Clerk, Public Records Officer
425-430-6502 (office)
206-635-6100 (cell)
From: Election, Services <Election.Services@kingcounty.gov>
Sent: Monday, October 2, 2023 10:47 AM
To: Jason Seth <JSeth@Rentonwa.gov>
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Cc: Melissa McCain <mmccain@rentonwa.gov>; Case, Janice <Janice.Case@kingcounty.gov>; Lodge, Jacob
<Jacob.Lodge@kingcounty.gov>; Kubota, Angela <Angela.Kubota@kingcounty.gov>; Wise, Julie
<Julie.Wise@kingcounty.gov>
Subject: City of Renton, Initiative Measure No. 23-02 Petition - Undated Signatures
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open attachments unless
you know the content is safe.
Good morning Jason,
Hope you are well.
We were contacted on September 18, 2023, by Counsel representing the Raise the Wage Renton
petition proponents for Initiative Measure No. 23-02 regarding the exclusion of undated
signatures and whether there are circumstances where they should be considered valid. King
County Elections prides itself on providing every opportunity to illustrate our commitment to
providing an accurate and equitable service to the voters of King County, and we welcome
opportunities to reconsider ways that will most accurately illustrate a voter’s intent.
The additional signatures to be included will be determined during the secondary review process
and communicated to the petition parties once reviewed. Attached is the letter from Director
Wise with more details on the review process.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Angie
Angela Kubota-Wolbert
Candidate & Jurisdiction Coordinator
King County Elections
206-296-1565
kingcounty.gov/elections
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